It is common in the disk drive industry to place component parts into packages for shipping to assembly locations. The components may be removed and processed manually or by automated equipment. In either case, handling the components with sufficient care to prevent damage increases costs significantly. These concerns are particularly valid with respect to the packaging of disk drive head suspension assemblies.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional suspension assembly 10 of the type commercially available from a number of manufacturers such as Hutchinson Technology Incorporated. Suspension assembly 10 is comprised of a load beam 12, a rigid swaging baseplate 14 mounted to the load beam 12 at a mounting region 16 at a proximal end 18 of the load beam 12, and a flexure 20 on a distal end 22 of the load beam 12. A slider mounting region 24 is located on the flexure 20 at the distal end 22 of the load beam 12. A first member, for example, flexure tail 26 of the flexure 20 extends from the proximal end 18 of the load beam 12. While the baseplate 14 and flexure tail 26 are generally configured to extend in the same plane, a spring or radius region 28 of the load beam 12 is typically formed with a bend. The bend causes the distal end 22 of the load beam 12 and the flexure 20 to extend at an angle with respect to the proximal end 18 of the load beam 12. Furthermore, unlike the baseplate 14, the load beam 12 and flexure 20 are not rigid. Rather, the load beam 12 and flexure 20 are adapted to flex when the disk rotates underneath the suspension assembly 10, so that the slider mounting region 24 is supported above the rotating disk by an air bearing. The characteristics of the materials and the degree of bending at the spring region 28 are coordinated to provide desired static attitudes and gram load specifications. Plastic deformation of the load beam 12 can change the static attitude and gram load characteristics, and thus the performance of the suspension assembly 10.
It is common in the industry to package the suspension assembly 10 into a packaging assembly, then ship the packaging assembly to another location for further assembly with additional components (Not Shown). One of the potential problems posed by such an arrangement is that the suspension assembly 10 may be damaged by the packaging assembly during shipment. This damage can be caused by physical contact, static-induced damage to electronic components, particulates, shock and vibration.
Suspension assembly processing can also include a cleaning step. Typically, a fluid, such as water, is used to remove particulate or other debris from the suspension assembly. Following a wet cleaning, as described above, it is desirable for the suspension assembly 10 to dry as quickly as possible to minimize production costs and improve production output.
There remains a continuing need for improved packaging trays for disk drive head suspension assemblies that minimize component movement, reduce damage to components from physical contact, particulates, shock and vibration, reduce static-induced damage to electronic components, and is manufactured efficiently.